School of Visual Arts (SVA) will be closing its MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media program, marking its 40th year. The program will conclude with the Class of 2028, as SVA Provost Jason Koth disclosed in an email to Hyperallergic. In a poignant twist, the program's closure follows the recent announcement of SVA discontinuing its graduate curatorial practice track.

Founding Chair Charles Traub, who launched the program in 1988, was quick to voice his regret. “I believe that the closure could have been avoided through better coordination and by rethinking how we were going to deal with the future of AI in a more aggressive way,” he said during a Hyperallergic call.

The decision was a hard one, with Koth stating that it was a direct result of SVA's ongoing economic challenges, the nationwide decline in graduate-level photography programs, and broader federal policy and financial headwinds that have made it untenable to sustain the program's current model.

The MFA candidates will still be able to complete their degrees without interruption, ensuring that the legacy of the program will continue through its final graduates. Yet, the future of visual arts education seems to be under scrutiny, with AI increasingly becoming a double-edged sword in the creative world.

Reflecting on the future of art education, Traub's words echo a broader debate: is AI a potential saviour or a looming shadow for artists?